Beneath the Blood Moon
by CassBlake
Summary: What is the son of a Death Eater to do, but follow in his father's footsteps? Unfortunately fate steps in and the son once destined for darkness finds himself fighting for control of a monster within. Can help from someone who understands be enough to sav


**Title:** Beneath the Blood Moon  
**Author:** C.K. Blake  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** Slash, Character Death, Mild Angst.  
**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
**Summary:** What is the son of a Death Eater to do, but follow in his father's footsteps? Unfortunately fate steps in and the son once destined for darkness finds himself fighting for control of a monster within. Can help from someone who understands be enough to save the soul of Draco Lucius Malfoy? DM/RL.  
**Author's notes:** This has been a completely different project to deal with. At first I was kind of shaky at the prospect of the Remus Lupin/Draco Malfoy ship, I honestly have never seen it done before, but once I let into the animal I found that I really liked it. I hope I've done well with the characters. There may be a sequel in the near future. I just loved writing this story so very much!

-Cassie

"Beneath the Blood Moon"

By C.K. Blake

A twig snapped beneath his fine dragon hide boots, the boy felt a shiver crawl up his spine, and paused, wondering once again why he was going forward with the fate his father had intended for him. He took a deep breath, closing his grey eyes, a small smile crossing his lips as he recalled fond memories, moments shared with his father…moments before the return of the Dark Lord. Moments when he was his father's world, and he never doubted his father's love.

Regaining his resolve the boy shook himself and continued onward. The clearing wasn't very far now, then he would apparate away, and find himself once again in his father's good graces. That was all that mattered, regaining his father's respect and love. Using his hand he pushed a slender, leafy branch out of his way, only one step away from the clearing, and that was when he felt the warm breath at his neck. He froze, his grey eyes going wide as he heard the snap of a twig just behind him, and then there was the low guttural growl that followed.

He reached for the wand in his sleeve, but before he could get his fingers around the slender ebony wood with dragon's heartstring for its core the beast was upon him, claws digging sharply into the flesh of his back as teeth ripped into his shoulder, a scream tore from his throat, and the thought that he'd failed his father for the final time passed through his mind, followed by black nothingness…

Slowly the darkness turned to a fleshy red, the color that light plays on the eyelids when the eyes are closed, and a groan escaped his lips as feeling returned to his body. Oddly there was no pain, just the feeling that he hadn't moved in ages. He slowly began to open his eyes and try to sit up, but was unable too, because he was strapped to a bed.

His breathing grew shallow as he looked wildly about him, images both familiar and seemingly distant, the light was bright, almost blinding and everything was white, sterile. He took a deep breath and began to choke on the smell of the room, old illness, healing potions, and some underlying smell of sickening cleanliness. He was in the infirmary at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

He fought his restraints for a few more minutes before giving up and falling back on the bed with a heaved sigh. He closed his eyes trying to remember what happened, and there was the phantom sensation of sharp teeth in his shoulder once again, and from far away the sound of screaming, growing closer and closer, until he realized that he was the one screaming, and then there were hands trying to further restrain him, an authorative, feminine voice telling him to calm down and then a deep voice saying a calming charm.

Calm washed through his veins until he was lying still on the bed, his breathing returned to normal, and he was no longer screaming. He turned to the left, the direction where the deep voice had come from and was surprised to see none other than Severus Snape, and he wondered when the Potions Master had developed such a timbre in his voice.

Severus looked at the fair-haired boy strapped to the bed, and his sable eyes met the boy's grey gaze. Severus took a deep breath and asked, "Draco, do you remember what happened?"

The boy closed his eyes and slowly opened them as he began to answer, "I was…" he trailed off in a raspy voice, and then a cup was brought to his lips as his head was lifted so that he could drink a bit of water. He took a sip and looked gratefully toward the woman, Madam Pomfrey, who'd given him the water, and then he continued, "I was in the Forbidden Forrest, and then something attacked me. I thought it was a dream, but when I remembered I felt its teeth in my shoulder, like it was happening again, but it doesn't hurt now."

"Is that all? You don't know what attacked you?" Severus asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Draco shook his head.

Severus opened his mouth, preparing to speak when he was interrupted by the one and only Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as the man slipped past the screens and looked down at the boy on the bed.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, it appears that you are finally awake," Dumbledore said.

Draco rolled his eyes. "That much is obvious. What I would like to know is why I'm strapped to this bloody bed, and what the bloody hell happened to me?"

Dumbledore's expression grew grave, and Draco felt a sinking in his stomach as he looked at the headmaster.

"Draco, there is something you need to know," the headmaster said, and Madam Pomfrey gave the boy a sympathetic look before she stepped out of the screened off area surrounding his bed. "You have been unconscious now for two weeks. After you were found on the edge of the Forbidden Forest near dawn you were brought to the infirmary, where your nearly fatal injuries were treated. Within days your wounds were healed, wounds that could have taken your life. There wasn't even scarring…"

"But…how? What happened?" Draco asked.

Severus cut in before Dumbledore could get a word in edgewise. "Why don't you tell us why in the bloody hell you were in the Forbidden Forest on the night of a full moon!"

"That's none of your…" Draco trailed as his mind circled around the last words Snape had said, _the night of a full moon_.

"Full moon? Are you…? Was what attacked me a…?" Draco couldn't bring himself to finish.

"A werewolf," Dumbledore finished for him, and Draco felt the world fall out from beneath him as he tried to grasp at the situation at hand.

"So I was bitten by a werewolf?" the boy asked, his voice trembling, and then his eyes melted to liquid mercury as he fought against his restraints and screamed, "If I was bitten why didn't you let me die! I'm no good to anyone anymore! I should have died!"

The boy was shocked into silence as a pair of strong hands grasped his shoulders and he was being shaken by Severus Snape, and the dark haired man hissed, "You should be grateful to be alive you fool!"

Draco's wild eyes locked with Severus' sable eyes and the boy spoke, "Father would have killed me. He would have spared me the misery. My life is over."

Severus' right hand locked around Draco's left wrist, and he wrenched the boy's arm, exposing its naked flesh as he snarled, "You have been spared. You weren't marked!"

"That doesn't change what I am! I may not serve a killer, but that doesn't change that fact that I'm a monster now does it?"

"Draco," the headmaster said, and both the boy and the dark haired man looked at Dumbledore. "Why did you want to become a Death Eater?"

"I didn't want it. I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted him to love me the way he once did. I was never interested in sides, I just wanted to be around after it was all over and done with and have a place in the world, whichever turn it took. I never wanted to be marked. My father wanted it, wanted me to serve by his side. I won't be marked now though. I missed my initiation, and when my father finds out why I'm as good as disowned if not dead. Like I said, my life is over."

"No, you're still young. Life is only beginning for you. This can be over come, accepted, treated," Dumbledore said, and reached for the boy's hand, but Draco pulled his hand back as much as the restraints allowed.

"But it can't be cured, and I'll be penniless. Accepted? Do you think my father or mother would accept the fact that their son is a monster?"

"So you're going to wile away in self-pity? What about when the full moon rises again? It's only twelve days away, and it will be your first change," Severus said.

"Brew me a potion and let me loose!" Draco snapped.

"The Wolfs Bane Potion can't be given to a werewolf on their first change. Might I suggest accommodating you in one of the cells in the dungeon until the change is over?" Dumbledore said.

"Do whatever you want. I don't have a say in this. That's been made clear by the fact that I'm strapped to this bloody bed!"

"The restraints stay until we know that you won't harm yourself," Snape replied.

"Don't you mean anyone else? As I recall you aren't too fond of werewolves. Something about Lupin nearly killing you," Draco spat.

Snape's hand tightened on Draco's arm, but before anything could escalate into violence Dumbledore spoke, "That is more than enough Draco. You will be kept in the hospital wing until the night of the full moon and then you will be moved to an appropriate holding area, for your own safety as well as others. If you need anything you have Madam Pomfrey, Severus, and myself at your disposal. As for now I think it best that you have some time alone to grow accustomed to these new developments."

"I'm not going through puberty," Draco yelled. "In twelve days I'll become a monster!"

Draco continued to yell and fight against his restraints and Dumbledore and Severus slipped out of the screens surrounding his bed, and left him alone…

----------

With a heavy sigh the headmaster took a seat at his desk, sorrow weighing heavily on him at the price a boy had to pay for one foolish mistake. He'd been spared the Dark Mark, but still the price he paid was far too much.

Dumbledore opened a bottle of ink, got a quill and some parchment and set about writing a letter:

_Dear Remus,_

An incident has occurred with one of the students. Two weeks ago he was found at the edge of the Forbidden Forest very close to death.

----------

Remus Lupin was in the middle of a novel, _The Count of Monte Cristo_, when a tapping at his window disturbed him. He looked up and was surprised to find a barn owl at his window. Usually only two owls ever came to his window, Hedwig or Pigwidgeon.

He got up and opened the window, and the owl swooped in, dropped the letter at his feet, and flew off just as suddenly as it had appeared. Remus stooped down and recognized the handwriting on the letter, it was from Albus Dumbledore, and the owl that had delivered the letter must have been a school owl.

He quickly broke the seal on the envelope, pulled out the parchment and began to read:

_Dear Remus,_

_An incident has occurred with one the students. Two weeks ago he was found at the edge of the Forbidden Forest very close to death. He has been unconscious until today, where he was given the grave news of what attacked him. The night of the full moon is a dangerous night to be out in the Forbidden Forest, more so than any other night, however what has been done cannot be undone._

_The student is well now, all of his injuries, including the bite on his shoulder have healed within a matter of days since he was first taken to the infirmary. Still, while he may be in good health he is very dispirited. I was hoping that you could perhaps come to Hogwarts to help the boy adjust. I will tell you more when I see you. I trust your judgment in these matters and expect you within a couple of hours. _

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 

The parchment fell from Remus' hand, and he ran his other hand through his hair, taking in the gravity of the situation. A student had been attacked by a werewolf, so they would be suffering from Lycanthropy for the rest of their life. He fell back into a chair nearby, and his mind circled around the fact that the headmaster had neglected to mention the student's name. His mind shifted to the worse… Was it Hermione? No, Albus had specified that it was a male student… So then Harry? Ron? Who was it?

Remus ran into his bedroom and began tossing clothes into an old shabby looking trunk, once it was packed full, he shrunk it to a manageable size, put it in his pocket, and apparated to the gates of Hogwarts.

The gates opened before him. He walked through the gates, which shut immediately behind him, walked up to the school, through the double doors, and headed straight to the headmaster's office.

"Albus," the usually quiet and reserved man called out.

"Ah, Remus," came the familiar and comforting voice of the headmaster. "Take a seat, and would you care for a lemon drop or perhaps a jolly rancher?"

Remus took a seat and shook his head, some things never changed. "No, Albus, but thank you. Now tell me, who is the young man that was attacked?"

Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth and took the time to savor the sour candy before he looked at Remus and answered the question.

Remus' mouth fell open and he looked at the headmaster, completely gob smacked. After a few minutes he regained his senses, shook himself, and then replied in a voice laced with shock, "Draco Malfoy? Lucius' boy?"

The headmaster nodded, and Remus swallowed thickly, wondering why Dumbledore would even take the boy in. The boy was destined for the Dark Mark, or had been… What was left for him? The boy was already doomed to drown in the shadow of his father, and now he was a monster, a real monster.

"What do you expect me to do, Albus? It's Lucius Malfoy's son!" Remus snapped, loosing his usual composure.

The headmaster looked at the man before him and sighed, looking every bit of his age. "Draco Malfoy is a seventeen year old boy. Yes, he made a mistake, and he is paying dearly for it, but he didn't take the mark, and his father…"

"Will never accept him as he is," Remus finished for him.

The headmaster nodded. "He needs someone, Remus, and you know about lycanthropy. He needs to have hope, and you can give him that. Don't look at him as an enemy's son. He is a victim, an innocent victim like so many. How he ended up in the Forbidden Forest is no longer a concern for us. It doesn't matter. So many are going to be lost in this war, but if we can save a few, why should he be any different from Harry or Ron or Hermione or anyone? Because he is a Death Eater's son? You would help anyone else. Why not him?"

"I never said I wouldn't help him. This wasn't his fault. He didn't ask for it, just like I didn't. I had friends who helped me through the worst of it, so I'll be his someone. You accepted me when very few would, so I will return the favor, for you, Albus," Remus replied.

"No," Dumbledore said, "Do it for Draco."

"How about for myself?" Remus asked.

The headmaster chuckled. "Still trying to redeem yourself for something that has always been out of your hands, Remus? You are still allowed to love you know."

"I think a change of subject is in order, Headmaster," Remus said shortly.

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he gave a nod of acknowledgement.

----------

Remus felt his heart flutter in his chest with every step he took towards the infirmary. What was he going to say to the boy, to Draco Malfoy? He had no idea of what to expect. What does one say to someone who has just woken up to find that their life has been irreparably altered?

"Remus! What are you doing here?" came a familiar voice, and the werewolf stopped in his tracks, his heart racing more than ever as he turned and faced a handsome young man with a mess of black hair, bright green eyes behind a pair of glasses, and a scar on his forehead, an almost exact replica of James Potter at the age of seventeen.

"Harry," Remus grunted as the young man ran over to him and threw his arms around him. Remus patted him on the back and said, "Always good to see you."

"Always, but why are you here?" Harry repeated.

Remus swallowed thickly and then sighed. "Albus sent for me. A student was attacked by a werewolf and I'm here to help him adjust. He's going to have a hard time of it."

"What? Who?" Harry asked.

Remus shook his head. "I'd rather not say right now."

Harry nodded. "Fair enough, poor bloke probably doesn't want it all over school any way. Hope it works out, but with you helping him, I know it will."

Remus took a deep breath, as the young man turned away and headed on down the corridor in the opposite direction, and muttered, "I hope so, for my sake, I hope so."

Remus then continued on his way. He stood facing the door of the infirmary, hesitating before he firmly grasped the knob, turned it, and entered the room. He noticed a screened off section of the ward and headed toward it. Each step heavier than the last until he slipped past the screens. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the boy with fair hair straining wildly against the straps that firmly held him to the bed.

"Merlin, how could they leave you bound like this?" Remus asked, and taking out his wand he pointed it at the straps and within moments they disappeared and the boy fell back against the bed having nothing to strain against.

The boy curled up into a fetal position on the bed, his body trembling as his arms wrapped around his knees and he was little more than a ball on the bed. Remus drew near the bed and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. He jerked away and spat, "Don't touch me!"

Remus withdrew as though he'd been bitten, and he felt sympathy and a need to protect the young man curled up on the small infirmary bed.

"It's all right, Draco, you can't harm me with what you are," he said gently.

The boy turned to look at Remus, his face twisted in rage as he snarled. "Why? Because you're a monster too, Lupin? Think I don't know what you are? You're just like me! Nothing but a freak!"

Remus took a seat on the small bed and Draco shifted so that they weren't touching and withdrew more into himself. "That's not true, you are not a freak. You didn't ask for this and it wasn't your fault that it happened. You were a victim, just like me. You're only a monster if you allow yourself to be. I understand what you're going through. But there are people who can accept you."

"Who? Potty and the Weasel? They'll think this is fitting, and it was my fault! If I hadn't…" Draco trailed.

"Hadn't what? Gone into the woods to apparate to your initiation then this wouldn't have happened?" Remus replied.

"It's true you know. I wasn't cut out to be good."

"You weren't meant to be bad either. You didn't want to be like your father did you?" Remus asked softly.

Draco began to relax. He stretched out on the bed and turned to look at the man sitting on the edge of the bed, noticing the rich light brown hair speckled with grey, the kind golden eyes, and the scars on his handsome face, and he swallowed thickly. "I didn't want to choose a side. I just wanted to be neutral so that I would be safe if either side won. My father wanted me to take a side, his side. I didn't want to be like him though. I never want to go to Azkaban. I don't want to kill. I've never been one for violence, not real violence with blood and death and the guilt that follows. I've seen people begging and screaming for their lives and there's no pleasure to be had in it, at least not for me."

Remus' eyes widened, and he saw the boy in a new light. "Then perhaps this happened for the best. I know you didn't want this, but it saved you from making a horrible mistake that could very well have cost you your life."

"This has cost me my life! My father and mother will want nothing to do with me once they know, and you know what it's like. There are so many people that are scared of werewolves. Look at Severus. He's my godfather, someone I've trusted my whole life. I even knew he was a spy, and he's terrified of me now, because of what I am. I know because I smell the fear on him, and I know I'll smell the hatred and disgust on my father once he knows. What kind of a life can I have now?"

"You haven't lost everyone. I promise I'll be here for you. You need someone who understands, and I've understood what you are going through since I was four years old."

Draco snorted. "I've never had you. You were my teacher for a year, and even then it was always about Potter! Severus was the only one I could trust here, and I don't have him any more."

"You have me now. I'm not going to give up on you or allow you to give up on yourself. The fact that you're alive shows how strong you are. You can deal with this. I know you can, it's just a matter of adjustment."

"Say what you want, but this doesn't mean I'll fight in the war. I'm not going to take a side. There's no point. If the dark wins I'll be killed because my pureblood is tainted with lycanthropy, and if the light wins they'll just shun me and talk about me and my ruined family name in whispers."

Remus rolled his eyes. "This isn't about the war. It's about you."

Draco narrowed his sharp grey eyes. "And what do you get out of it, Lupin?"

"Redemption, and I can give you the chance that someone once gave me. Something that is beyond your control doesn't make you a monster, it's the choices we make that do that, not the things that you can't help," Remus said, and when he put his hand on Draco's shoulder the boy didn't shrink beneath his touch or try to turn away, he allowed it. He let Remus' hand rest on his shoulder, and Remus smiled.

"Oh and you can call me Remus. I'd like it if you did."

"Fine, Remus, but don't think you can turn me against my father. I will never betray my blood," Draco spoke sharply.

Remus nodded. "Fair enough, and I would never expect you to. Despite all the things he's done, you're right, he is your father."

"Good then, now that I'm no longer tied to the bed, what should we do?" Draco asked and then his lips twisted into a grin as he continued, "Unless of course you prefer me tied to the bed and can keep me occupied while I'm restrained."

Remus' eyes widened and his face grew warm at the implication that the young platinum blond youth had just made. He shook himself and wondered just what Albus Dumbledore had set into motion…

----------

Three whole days since he woke up and two days since Remus had removed his restraints. After two days of Remus staying in the infirmary with him, and two days of talking and learning about the comforts of silence Draco was going to move into the room that had been prepared for Remus' extended stay.

Draco tightened his grip on the invisibility cloak as he followed Remus to the Eastern Wing of Hogwarts where the teacher's tower was, for the teachers that didn't have a house. Remus stopped in front of a portrait of a river naiad. The little urchin smiled, stars seemingly sparkled in her eyes as she peered through the waves of the stream in the portrait.

Remus then said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

With a giggle the portrait opened revealing a simple but elegant room with a fireplace to the left and a huge four-poster to the right. There was a wardrobe on the far wall and a door that led to what Draco guessed was the bathroom. The gauzy silk curtains and covers on the bed were done in a light blue color and trimmed in gold, and two light blue velvet wing back chairs sat before the fireplace. A few feet from the wardrobe was a writing desk and just above the writing desk was a window, and all the woodwork was done in richly varnished golden oak. All in all it was a very nice room.

Draco noticed his trunk at the foot of the bed, and then realized that there was only one bed in the room. He licked his lips nervously and glanced at the man who was twenty years older than him, and who was sharing his room with him.

"There's just the one bed?" Draco hadn't meant for it to come out as a question.

Remus turned to the young man and with a small smile, patted him on the shoulder and said, "I can transfigure one of the chairs into a bed for myself, you can have the four-poster. You didn't think we would be sharing the bed…"

Draco snorted, but disappoint gnawed within him. "Of course not. Dumbledore would never allow such a thing, though once the door is closed, he really wouldn't know what happens in this room, would he?"

Remus pulled back his hand and looked at the boy, his golden eyes locking with grey before he took a deep breath and asked the question that had been pecking at him for the last two days. "Draco, do you fancy men over women?"

Draco chuckled. "So Gryffindors aren't as thick as they appear. You do too, unless I misjudged of course, though I've never been wrong."

"Regardless of my sexual preference, we are here because you've been reported missing, and I'm here to help you adjust to your latest development. I'm twenty years older than you, and I can assure you that nothing of that sort will come about. Are we clear on that, Draco? I don't want any games. And I don't want you trying to seduce me," Remus said, his voice firm.

Draco began to pout as he looked at the older man. "But what else is there to do? You've stolen my fun before I even had a chance to get started."

"Have you considered picking up a good book? I have a few in the desk drawer if you'd like to browse the titles. I hope you don't mind muggle literature," Remus said.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'd much rather be other wise engaged, preferably in some activity or even in conversation. I haven't done anything since this happened, and I want to do something."

"And I'm not stopping you from doing anything, as long as it doesn't consist of leaving this room and anything of a sexual nature with me. I'm old enough to be your father."

"It would be nothing more than a fling, if it happened."

"I expect a little more respect from you. After all I'm here to help you. I will not be some fling for a spoiled seventeen year old boy."

"Seventeen year old werewolf. We're not human, Lupin. We have an animal inside of us. Mine may not have manifested yet, but that doesn't mean I can't act out on its impulses, and you can do the same. Obviously if we were meant to share this room, then Dumbledore or whoever made the sleeping arrangements knew that something could happen."

"We are not discussing this," Remus stated calmly. "Now go find a book out of the desk while I go tend to some things. I'll be back in an hour or two and then we'll talk some more. I'm sure that a good book will give you more than enough to discuss. Just remember that you are not to leave this room."

Draco rolled his eyes and began to sulk as Remus turned around and left the room. Draco was still a captive, whether he was tied up or not. Freedom had always been a limited commodity for him, its limits stretched as he'd entered Hogwarts, but now freedom was far from his grasp. He was held captive by an inner beast that had yet to manifest inside of him, held captive in a room he would share with another man who was determined to keep things strictly platonic, held captive by his hunger to know just what made Remus Lupin tick. Freedom was something that had cruelly been snatched from Draco's grasp on the night of the Harvest Moon.

----------

Severus Snape was agitated as he threw open the door of the infirmary to visit Draco. He stopped short upon seeing that Draco's bed was no longer screened and Draco was no longer in it. Snape turned toward Madam Pomfrey's office and burst into the room in a complete fury.

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?" he growled.

Madam Pomfrey looked up from the parchment she'd been filling out, barely batting an eyelash, and replied, "I left him to Remus Lupin's care as Albus told me to do. I think you should take this matter up with Albus, because it's no longer in my hands."

She then went back to filling out the parchment on her desk. Severus stalked out of her office and headed straight for the headmaster's office. He hissed the password and was in Dumbledore's office before the wizened headmaster could pop a lemon drop into his mouth.

"Ah, Severus, have a…" Dumbledore began, but was cut off as Severus snapped, "Sod the formalities Albus. When were you going to tell me Lupin was back, and when the bloody hell were you going to tell me that you left my godson in his care!"

"Now, now, Remus is the only one who really understands what Draco is going through, and I thought it best that the boy have someone with a similar situation to talk to."

"Best? Best to have him consorting with LUPIN!" Snape roared.

"Be rational Severus. You are not going to be able to help Draco with this new development. You're terrified of what he's become. You were the one that insisted we keep him strapped to the bed," Albus reasoned.

"For his own good and for the safety of the students!" Snape defended.

Albus looked over his half-moon spectacles at the man. "Two weeks before the full moon?"

Severus looked to the floor, unable to come up with a rebuttal, so Dumbledore continued, "You can't help him with this Severus. He is going through something that is beyond your control or understanding. That is why I sent for Remus, and having Draco stay with him was his idea. I trust his judgment. He can help Draco, and is willing to be there for him."

Snape's head snapped up. "You don't get it! Draco likes men. He's going to try to turn the tables on Lupin. I know Draco, Albus, and once Draco gets bored, Lupin won't stand a chance. He's a master at seduction. At least tell me that you've given them separate rooms."

"I trust Remus' self control. You should have more faith in people, Severus."

Snape rolled his eyes. "And you should be more suspicious. I know the boy, Albus, Lupin is in over his head. But obviously I have no say in this. I only hope you have some idea of what you've set into motion."

With that Snape stormed out of the headmaster's office to retreat to his own room in the dungeons and brood over the injustice and lack of intelligence in the world.

----------

He looked to the sky as he approached the Quidditch field, not surprised to see Harry flying around. He smiled as Harry spotted him and did a nose-dive, pulling up just short of the ground to hover a few feet in front of him.

"Hey Remus, finally going to tell me more about why you're here? Who is the student you're helping?" Harry asked.

"I think this is conversation better kept inside," Remus replied.

Harry nodded, got off of his broom and together he and Remus headed back to Hogwarts and didn't stop until they were sitting in a couple of wing-backed chairs in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry didn't waste any time in his questioning. "So who is it?"

Remus sighed. "I still can't tell you that, but I can tell you that he really needs my help. I've missed you too, of course, so being here isn't a complete loss."

"I'm glad you're here too. I've missed you. It's been too long Remus. I thought we said we wouldn't lose touch. You're the closest I have to family since Sirius…"

"I wrote every day, Harry, and you know I would have kept you over the summer if I could have, but you're as close to safe as possible with the Dursleys and you know how hard the full moon is on me."

"Writing isn't the same as just sitting down and talking. I miss this, just good conversation. It's still new to me. I mean knowing that I have someone to really talk to about my parents and Sirius, to hear about all the things they did when they were at school or to get to know what they were like. I kept all your letters and read them all the time, but it's not the same as hearing you talk about them, seeing how alive you get when you relive the memories."

"Things will be different after the war, Harry. I promise endless conversations with you, but for now lets savor the time we have."

"Speaking of the war, Malfoy's been missing for over two weeks. There was speculation that he joined the Death Eaters, but I had a dream, one of the ones where I'm in Voldemort's head. It doesn't happen that often, just usually when he's angry about something. Malfoy never made his initiation. I think something must have happened to him."

Remus went pale, and Harry grew suspicious and asked, "Are you all right? Do you know something?"

The werewolf shook his head. "I'm fine, I'd just rather not talk about the war or Malfoys right now."

Harry nodded and then began to discuss some new dueling techniques he'd been working on in his training with Snape.

----------

The woman slowly looked up from her soup, she was nervous and worried, but she hid it well. She studied her husband, sitting at the head of the long dining table, lost in thought, his grey eyes hazy as his mind drifted, his long platinum hair loose around his shoulders, his fingers tapping the table as his other hand brought the spoon of soup to his lips and he ate.

She wondered if he tasted the soup before he swallowed and dipped the spoon back into the bowl. She hadn't seen him quite so nervous or agitated since the night after they'd first sent their son off to Hogwarts nearly seven years ago.

Unable to take anymore she broke the silence, "Lucius, I'm worried over Draco. I've written the headmaster several times and he's said there has been no sign of Draco for over two weeks. You told me he missed his initiation. Do you think he ran away or that someone… What could have happened to him?"

Lucius' grey eyes locked with his wife's worried blue gaze as he replied, "That old fool is behind this. The muggle loving fool is lying to you. He knows exactly what happened to our son. He probably has him locked in one of the cells of the dungeons of that school. Of course with Severus there Draco should have been able to escape by now unless he's under constant watch, which wouldn't surprise me. But then again Severus could be a traitor instead of a spy."

"He is Draco's godfather. He would never endanger Draco. I'm sure if there was something he could do then Draco would be here with us. You can't be sure that he's being held prisoner at Hogwarts."

"This is just the sort of trick Dumbledore would try! I will not have my son being held against his will. I'll free him myself as Snape obviously isn't capable. If he's been harmed in any way they won't have to worry about the Dark Lord. I will have vengeance."

"You speak madness. The headmaster would not hold a student against their will!"

"Narcissa, he is the son of a suspected Death Eater. They are desperate because they know the Dark Lord's numbers are growing. They've kept him because they know how high he will rank among the Death Eaters because he is my son. Draco wouldn't run away, he is a Malfoy, and he knows this is his destiny to be by my side so that we may reclaim our rightful place in society once the wizarding world has been cleansed of all mudblood filth."

Narcissa shifted her gaze back to her soup, bringing the spoon to her lips, knowing that there was no reasoning with Lucius when he was on a tangent about purging the wizarding world of all "filth" as he called it.

----------

His ears picked up on the sound of footsteps out in the corridor. He looked up from the book he was reading and shook his head wondering when he would get used to the heightened senses when the door handle turned and Remus stepped into the room, closed, locked, and warded the door behind him and turned to look at the boy lounging on the four-poster with a book lying open on his stomach.

Remus' breath caught in his throat at the sight before him, Draco was on the bed, wearing a pair of black trousers and an oxford shirt, his back propped up by numerous pillows, his legs crossed at the ankles, the book lay open on the boy's stomach. The boy was looking up at him, his platinum hair falling into his grey eyes, and his tongue gliding over his top lip. The boy was handsome, that much was apparent in his aristocratic face, sullen lips, and young, lean, lithe body.

The boy glanced down at the book he'd been reading and then looked back up at Remus and asked, "I don't understand how a man can hear the heart beat of a dead man when a dead man's heart couldn't possibly beat without the help of magic."

After a moment's pause, Remus shook himself and answered Draco's question. "The heart wasn't beating, it was his guilt over having killed the old man. It was the guilt that made him hear the beating beneath the floorboards. I see that you've been reading Poe."

Draco looked up at the man with a smirk. "Obviously this muggle was a bit of a nutter."

"But a fascinating writer never the less," Remus said.

Draco nodded in agreement. "I can't argue against the point. His stories are fascinatingly morbid. So have you taken care of whatever business you needed to tend to? No doubt it was something to do with Potter. Spare me the details. I really don't want to discuss him at length. I'd rather discuss our new living arrangement among other things."

Remus sighed and wondered why he'd suggested that Draco stay in his room rather than remain in the infirmary until the night of the full moon.

----------

Draco sighed as he turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and reached for a towel. He would be glad when his wand was returned to him after the full moon. He missed the convenience of magic. He dried his hair, and then wrapped the towel around his waist, scowling at how messy his hair looked after towel drying it. He quickly combed his hair until it was manageable and then stepped out of the bathroom, knowing that Remus was in the Great Hall at dinner eating among Potter, Granger, and Weasley.

He went straight for his trunk, pulling it open and taking out a pair of black trousers, black silk boxers, and a dark green jumper. It was then that he heard the gasp behind him. The trunk slammed shut as he spun around with the clothes in his arms. Sitting in one of the chairs by the fire and facing a table full of food was Remus, and Remus was gaping at him.

Draco's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly regained control and turned around so that his back was facing Remus, tossing his clothes on the bed, he took off the towel and slowly slipped into the boxers, smirking as he heard the man's breathing grow more rapid. He was slipping into his trousers when he finally spoke.

"I thought you would be joining Potter for dinner as you've eaten in the Great Hall the last three nights," Draco said.

Remus cleared his throat as Draco began to pull on his sweater and turned around to look at him. "Ah, well, I thought you could use the company. No one should spend their meals alone every night. Of course if you would rather I go…"

Draco shook his head. "No I like having a flustered companion to eat…" Draco paused for a considerable amount of time, making Remus swallow thickly, before he finished, "…with."

Remus was at a loss for words so Draco continued, "This is rather intimate, just the two of us, and eating is such a sensuous act to share. Oh, and the food smells absolutely divine. I love roast beef…"

Remus took a deep breath, wondering how he was going to survive the night if Draco continued with his current behavior. He saw a cold shower in his near future.

----------

Remus looked up at the boy as the thick, magically reinforced, wooden door closed behind them. The boy's breathing had increased and his eyes had grown wild with fear as he looked at every inch of the cell that he was to share with another werewolf. His skittishness was obvious, and Remus felt pity for the boy he'd gotten to know over the past two weeks. There was more to Draco Lucius Malfoy than met the eye. The boy was highly intelligent and had developed a fascination for muggle literature. He was strongly opinionated, but every now and again he could be swayed, and he adapted rapidly to new situations. He was also a handsome young man, there was no denying that fact, and very sensual, also a hopeless tease and flirt. Sexual tension had been thick between them, and Remus had to fight an inner battle every night to not give in to the temptation that was Draco Malfoy.

"You don't have to worry. I've taken the Wolfsbane potion so I won't be violent, and I'll be here with you through the change. Sometimes having someone you trust with you throughout the night will make it easier on you. And you won't hurt me. We might fight, but you won't hurt me because I'll smell familiar to you," Remus said and then pulled off his jumper, revealing a muscular, lean chest.

Draco's eyes were drawn to Remus' body, his gaze growing hungry, the grey of his eyes turning to molten mercury as Remus' body was being revealed to him for the first time. Draco practically tore off his own shirt as he heard the zipper's descent on Remus' trousers. Remus flushed with self-consciousness as he felt Draco's heated gaze on him, but it was easier to change without clothing restricting the inevitable, and the clothing ended up being ripped to shreds anyway.

"I'm not worried about hurting you," Draco finally replied. "I just don't want to lose control. I've always had some semblance of self-control. I could control me despite everything else going straight to hell, and tonight that's going to be stripped from me."

Remus sighed. "Of course this isn't going to be easy and I know you never asked for it, but at least you aren't alone. Not everyone who's been bitten has been so lucky."

"I know. I'm sharing a cell sans chains, which would be very useful at the moment, with a handsome soon to be naked man, and I'm oddly suspicious that my virtue, or lack there of, shall unfortunately remain in tact," Draco replied with a mischievous smirk.

"Why do you do that?" Remus asked, as he pulled down his boxers, and watched the boy slip out of his trousers.

"Do what?" Draco asked, a genuine hint of curiosity in his voice.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Turn everything around so that it sounds or seems sexual in some way?"

Draco shrugged. "It just comes natural. Sex holds power, once you've learned that you've gained an upper hand on the world."

"And in power lies corruption," Remus replied and then shook his head. "Draco, sex is a wonderful thing, but whatever happened to love? To romance?"

"Love breeds weakness unless it is shared by blood, because one must always remain loyal to blood, and besides seduction can be considered romance," Draco replied, almost as though he were quoting from a textbook.

"No," Remus said. "Seduction is exploitation of one's charms, it's not romance."

Draco laughed. "Then allow me to exploit my charms. I'll have you yet, Remus. I see how you look at me, and I know you want me. You just need to come to the realization that I want you to."

Draco stepped out of his boxers completely exposing himself to the naked man; he smirked as Remus couldn't resist giving his body a once over, and both were aroused as the tension crackled heavy in the air. Draco began to walk toward Remus, a predator on the prowl. He circled Remus and glided his right hand up Remus' arm, over his shoulder, across his upper back and paused as his hand reached the man's other shoulder and Remus took a deep breath and turned to face the boy.

"You don't understand what you're asking, and I won't let this go any further. I'll be your support, I'll even be your friend, but I won't be a conquest," Remus stated, and that was when Draco drew up against Remus, his body pressed against Remus, their arousals colliding, and then Draco was pressing his mouth against Remus', his tongue gliding over the older man's lips as his arms began to wind around the man, coaxing him to open his mouth, and Remus did. Draco didn't fail to take advantage of deepening the kiss.

Neither of them were aware of the door of the cell opening and closing until they heard the gasp and Draco was being jerked back and both Draco and Remus were stunned by another presence in the room. Remus' eyes were wide with fear, wondering how Lucius Malfoy could have gotten into Hogwarts let alone into the forbidden part of the dungeons and into their cell. Draco was still struggling against his father's grip, unaware that it was his father he was fighting, and then Lucius spoke.

"What in the hell did you think you were doing to my son?" he hissed at Remus, brandishing his wand, and Draco's struggle stopped as he stiffened in his father's arm, his grey eyes wide.

"Lucius," Remus said. "You don't have any idea what is going on here. You have to get out of this room before the sun sets, because once it does that door can no longer be opened."

"If you think I'm leaving my son in this state with you, Lupin, you are mad! Have you got him under Imperius? Is that why he's so compliant to your wishes?" Lucius snapped.

"Father," Draco said and Lucius turned to look at his son, his eyes burning with anger and with shock, awaiting an explanation.

"Yes Draco, tell me what they've done to you. Get dressed, we're leaving. I'm certain that you've been through more than enough," Lucius said, trying to remain calm as he looked at his son.

Draco shook his head. "No, Father, do as he says. You have to leave before the sun sets. Please."

Lucius looked in bewilderment at his son. "But the sun has already set. I used the darkness to get on the grounds without being seen."

The color drained from Draco's face as he doubled over and groaned in pain. He lifted his head and his burning mercury eyes met the liquid gold of Remus' gaze, and Remus said, "Then it's too late, Lucius."

"Too late for what?" Lucius snarled as he turned to face Remus, and then demanded, "What the bloody hell is going on here? What have you done to my son?"

Before Remus could reply he too doubled over in the familiar pain of the change, and then a growl sounded behind Lucius sending a chill up his spine as he turned and watched the beauty of the change taking effect on his son. Draco's face extended into a muzzle, his body rippling, bones crunching, and silky silvery fur sprouting on his body, until his metamorphosis was complete and he was a large beautiful silver wolf able to stand upright like a man, and that was when Lucius realized what Lupin had meant, as a bloodcurdling howl escaped the throat of the beautiful beast that was his son, and behind Lucius another howl joined the howl of his son.

Lucius swallowed thickly as a large light brown werewolf jumped over him and attempted to defend him, but to no avail the silver wolf managed to take down the brown wolf and then the silver wolf was upon Lucius, its claws tearing his flesh, its teeth closing around his neck, and Lucius' screams died in his throat…

----------

With a groan Remus tried to stretch to sooth the aching in his body, but felt the weight of someone against his back, and arms wrapped around him. Remus blinked for a few moments and the night came back to him. Draco naked, and then Lucius and then the change. Remus' eyes widened as he carefully turned over and took in the docile appearance of the sleeping boy, and he swallowed thickly at the dried blood covering the boy and staining his platinum hair, and careful not to disturb Draco, he sat up and looked around the cell, and in the far corner of the bare cell he saw the torn and broken body of Lucius Malfoy.

He struggled to fight the sickness that threatened to consume him, and his pulse quickened as he heard a groan coming from Draco and realized that the boy was beginning to wake up. Remus quickly gathered the boy in his arms and held him against his chest, hoping with all of his might that it was enough to keep Draco from looking into that corner where the broken body of his father lay.

Draco looked up at Remus and noticed the conflicting emotions of fear, revulsion and a need to protect on the man's face, and then there was the faint metallic smell of old blood invading his nostrils. He tried to turn and look around the room, but Remus' grip tightened around him.

"Remus?" he asked, his voice thick from thirst among other things.

Remus took a deep breath and his golden eyes locked with grey. "We are going to leave this cell together, right now. The headmaster assured me that there would be clothes waiting on a chair by the door. You are not to look back, Draco. I won't allow you to. Do you understand?"

Draco looked at him in confusion but gave a little nod, and together they stood, Remus careful to keep Draco's back to the far corner, and holding Draco against his chest he led them out of the cell, but just as they reached the door Draco glanced down at the floor as something shiny had caught his attention and his breath caught in his throat as he bent down to pick up the necklace with its broken chain from the floor. He looked at the white gold pendant, recognizing it as the dragon his father had worn since the day Draco had been born, the dragon that Narcissa had given Lucius so he would always have a reminder of their little Dragon, their Draco.

Draco felt his legs give way, and Remus just barely caught him before he had the chance to hit the floor, and he helped the boy walk out of the door and firmly shut the heavy door behind them. Once they were on the other side of the door Draco collapsed to his knees, looking wildly at his blood stained body. Remus dressed quickly and then seeing Draco's condition helped the boy to dress. Once they were sufficiently covered, Remus led the boy away from the cell and out of the dungeon. They went up various stairs and down various corridors until they reached Remus' room, and once they were safely inside Remus locked and warded the door. Remus then led Draco to the bathroom, turned on the shower, made sure the water was warm, undressed the boy and helped him to the shower. Draco complied without protest, his eyes still wide with shock at the fact that he'd killed his father.

Once Draco was clean Remus summoned a pair of pajamas for the boy, dried him off, dressed him, and then helped him to the bed. After Draco was secure he went back into the bathroom and took a shower himself, then summoned a pair of trousers, a jumper, socks, his boots, dressed, and headed straight for the headmaster's office, first checking that the door to his room was locked so that Draco wouldn't be able to leave.

Remus wasted no time in going to the headmaster's office and within moments of leaving his room was facing Albus Dumbledore. Albus noticing the look on Remus' face passed on the social niceties and looked at the tired looking man standing before him and looking shaken beyond his thirty-eight years.

"What has happened?" Albus asked.

Remus looked up, surprised that the headmaster didn't already know. "Lucius Malfoy somehow found Draco and I in the cell together, but he couldn't get out in time as it was past sunset. Draco and I started to change. I tried to defend Lucius, as I'd had the potion, but Draco was too strong with his first change and all, and I was knocked out and don't remember much except waking up this morning to Draco curled up around me and Lucius Malfoy's corpse in the corner of the cell."

Before Dumbledore could say anything Severus Snape burst into the room like a madman, and said in a voice laced with horror, "Albus, Lucius Malfoy's body is in the cell where Draco and Lupin were…" he trailed off upon noticing Remus in the room, and then turned on the werewolf. "You killed him didn't you? How did he even get in there?"

"I don't know," Remus snapped, losing patience and his usually easy temperament. "And I didn't kill him… Draco did."

"Oh dear Gods," Severus said and collapsed back in a chair, looking in desperate need of a drink of some strong firewhiskey.

"Obviously something will have to be done with the body. As for Draco, does he know what happened?" Albus asked.

Remus swallowed thickly and nodded. "I think so. He found something on the floor of the cell and he wouldn't let it go. Not even when I cleaned him up and put him to bed. I don't know what it was, but it has some sort of meaning to him. He hasn't said a word since we left the cell. I didn't let him see the body. I managed to spare him that much."

"Do you realize how terrible this is?" Snape said. "You don't understand how close they were. Lucius may have seemed a right bastard most of the time, but he was different with his son. He was strict, but he also cared for the boy, and Draco adored him."

"Someone should be with Draco right now," Remus whispered and then looked up and said, "Albus, Severus, make the arrangements with the body. I'll tend to Draco."

"Haven't you done enough!" Snape roared as he stood up.

Remus glared at the Potions Master. "And what have I done? I've supported him through this as much as I could. He needed someone who understands. I tried to protect his father, but I was no match for a werewolf undergoing his first change, especially under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion, and if I hadn't had the potion I would have joined in the slaughter. Now I'm going to be there for him because he needs me. I know what it's like to lose someone because of something you couldn't control. Before I came to Hogwarts I had a brother, Edmund. He was a year younger than me. He didn't live past his ninth birthday because he wanted to know why I always went down in the cellar on the night of the full moon, and while it wasn't my fault, my mother could never bring herself to forgive me. I know what he's going through because it happened to me. I know more than anyone what kind of beast is inside of me. Don't test my patience, Severus, or I'll show you first hand how dangerous I can be."

"At least tell me how long you waited before you bedded him Lupin," Severus spat.

Remus was on him in a second, he knocked the chair and Snape down and his hands closed around Snape's throat, tight enough to be uncomfortable, but loose enough for the man to breathe as Remus growled, "That never happened, though he tried on more than one occasion to seduce me. I suggest you keep your rather large nose out of this Snape."

"He's my godson," Snape hissed. "I think I have the right to be concerned."

"No one is saying that you don't, Sev, but this isn't your fight. What's between Remus and me is just that, between me and him. Now Remus, let him go. We have funeral arrangements to attend to," came Draco's voice from the doorway of the headmaster's office, and Remus looked up, startled at the boy and wondered how he'd managed to leave their room when Remus had been sure the door was locked.

----------

Draco was dressed in his finest black robes, but stood apart from his mother all throughout the funeral, unable to even look up and meet her gaze. She wept silently, keeping up the Malfoy decorum, and though her heart was breaking as they lowered her husband into the ground she sat tall and proud, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks.

Those in attendance thought it was odd that Draco Malfoy stood across from his mother and didn't approach her after the funeral was over. They were even more suspicious that the boy had been accompanied by Remus J. Lupin. The strange pair waited until Narcissa stood up and then Draco and Remus apparated back to Hogwarts.

Once at the gate, Draco entered it and walked quickly toward the castle, through the corridors, up various stairwells until he reached Remus' room, spoke the password, and entered the room. A few minutes later Remus was in the room and saw Draco's discarded robes, shoes, and socks on the floor and noticed the boy lying on his back in nothing but a black cashmere sweater, and a pair of black trousers.

Remus slowly approached the bed, not sure really of how to proceed. Draco sighed, rolled over onto his stomach, and inclined his head to look up at Remus. Remus took a seat on the bed, the dip in the mattress enough to bring Draco's body closer though they weren't touching.

"Once she reads my letter and knows that I killed him… She'll never look at me, speak to me, or touch me again. She loved him madly and I took him from her. I'll be as dead as my father to my mother," Draco whispered, his voice hollow.

Remus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "When I was ten I killed my younger brother Edmund. It was an accident. He found the key to the cellar where I changed on the full moon and came downstairs. By the time my parents realized what had happened it was too late. I couldn't even remember doing it, but I woke up the next morning in his blood, his body at the foot of the stairs. My mother never forgave me. I'm not quite sure how my father could forgive me, though honestly I doubt he really did. It wasn't really me. It was something that was locked inside of me until the full moon, but my mother saw me as the reason that Edmund died. The pain, even the guilt, will always be there, but over time it will lessen. These things just take time."

"I don't want to hear, 'Time mends all wounds.' I want my father back. I want him alive and well again," Draco snapped and then a mad laugh escaped his lips. "You know he would have found it fitting that he died beneath the blood moon. That is what the full moon of October is called."

"And I wish that Edmund were still alive, but we can't live on wishes and wants. This is your life now, Draco, and I promise that I will always take care of you. You need someone, that much is apparent."

"And since Severus can no longer look me in the face that obligation has been passed down to you," Draco quipped.

Remus winced. "This is for my redemption as much as it is yours."

Draco cocked his head and spoke, "If you need me as much as you think I need you then prove it."

"How?" Remus asked.

"Just take what I've been offering. I need this, and I know you do too. I need to know that someone can still touch me after what I've done," Draco whispered, his pleading grey eyes meeting Remus' concerned golden gaze. "I've never needed anything in my life, because I've always gotten everything before I needed it, and I've never really asked for anything with so much sincerity before. Gods, I'm making a fool of myself."

Remus reached down, his fingers gentling touching Draco's forehead as he brushed aside the platinum blond strands. "What are you offering Draco?"

"Myself," Draco replied quietly, then sat up, placing his hands on either side of Remus' face and kissed him, his mouth opening as this time it was Remus that deepened the kiss.

Draco's hands then traveled down Remus' chest, flicking open the buttons of his shirt, exposing more and more of the man's chest. Remus' hands reached the hem of Draco's sweater, and the two broke off the kiss.

Remus looked at the boy, taking careful note that his grey eyes had become molten mercury, seeing the desperation and the need, and he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

When Draco nodded Remus lifted off his sweater, leaned into the young man, and devoured his lips. He moaned as Draco's hands worked on his trousers and gasped as the young man's hand slipped beneath his boxers, and together they realized that they'd reached the point of no return.

----------

It was Saturday and nearly noon on Halloween. Harry looked up once again at the entrance of Great Hall and wondered where Remus was. Remus hadn't missed a lunch with Harry, Hermione, and Ron since he'd returned to Hogwarts for some mysterious business, to help the victim of a werewolf attack.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked at her agitated friend. "Really Harry, perhaps he's out on Order business."

Ron, surprisingly enough was the one that piped up with a clever idea. "If you're so worried about Remus just look at the Marauder's Map. It'll tell you if he's still here."

"Brilliant," Harry said, and then without a second thought he left Great Hall and headed straight for Gryffindor Tower.

He fished the map out of his trunk, and once it was activated he searched for Remus J. Lupin and found him in a room in the Eastern wing of Hogwarts where the teacher's tower was. What surprised Harry was the name of someone else in the room with Remus, Draco L. Malfoy.

Harry hurried out of Gryffindor Tower, and followed the map until he stood before the portrait of a river naiad. She playfully asked for the password, and saying the first thing that popped into his mind, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," the portrait swung open to reveal a large, light and airy room. As Harry stepped into the room the portrait shut behind him, his eyes were drawn to the bed, and his world was thrown into turmoil.

"Bloody hell!" he yelled.

Startled, the two dosing occupants in the bed woke up, Remus trying to untangle himself from the sheets without exposing too much, and Draco smirking at an obviously shocked Potter.

Harry stared from a very shaken Remus to the smirking Draco, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, replaced his glasses, and found that the image was still the same.

"Harry…" Remus began, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

Harry shook himself and then said, "I only came to ask if you were going to be at the Halloween feast, and then I saw Malfoy on the map and thought you'd captured him. Seems he's the one that caught you. Merlin! How long has this been going on?"

Draco took it upon himself to answer. "Well Potter, Remus and I have quite a bit in common. You see, on the night of the Harvest Moon I was attacked by a werewolf. I managed to survive, but you know how tricky werewolf bites can be. Remus was asked to come and help me adjust, and he's done a very good job of it."

Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses and he looked at the fully flushed Remus in bed next to Malfoy and gaped at him. When he regained use of his motor functions and speech he stalked over to the bed and shook the last remaining Marauder.

"Remus! Are you mad! You know werewolves mate for life!" Harry snapped, and then he quickly let go of the man, and took several large steps back.

Draco cocked his head and turned to Remus, obviously shaken by what Potter said as he quipped, "Funny, you didn't mention that last night when you asked me if I was sure!"

Remus covered his face with his hands and fell back onto the bed, the sheet rising a little on his left thigh, but still there wasn't much exposed, as he replied, "I promised you I would always take care of you."

"You still neglected the part about MATING FOR LIFE!" Draco's voice rose, and Harry took that as his cue to leave the room and let the two have at it, still he fought the mental images that threatened his sanity at the thought of Remus Lupin and Draco Malfoy having at it…

End.

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Author's Notes: This concludes the wild ride that was "Beneath the Blood Moon". Feel free to let me know what you think. I'd love reviews!

-Cassie


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